Attitude Change, Media and Word of Mouth

Abstract

This article focuses on a study regarding the role of advertising in creating awareness of a product, issue, or candidate, and attitude change in the U.S. An objective of the paper is to move from the usual focus on the product alone, to examine the extent of word of mouth versus media exposure to specific new and established brands of a regularly purchased convenience food product. Advertising played an essential role in the acceptance new, as well as established brands of convenience food products. Advertising's role was to provide preconditions for success, which for the new brand was primarily to build awareness and for the established brand, maintaining existing favorable attitudes. It provides a quantitative estimate of the relative impact of various kinds of communications and usage experiences.